“The celebration surrounding the annual Pacific bluefin auction hides how deeply in trouble this species really is,” said Jamie Gibbon, associate manager of global tuna conservation at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “Its population has fallen to less than 3.5 percent of its historic size and overfishing still continues today.”

To address the escalating scarcity, Japan and other governments agreed on fishing restrictions in 2017 — with the goal of increasing stocks from 20% of historic levels by 2034, the Washington Post noted. However, the move caused difficulties in the town of Oma in Aomori prefecture, which is known for its tuna catch.

Because of its rarity, Oma tuna has been dubbed the “black diamond” of tuna, with fishermen still using traditional methods to catch them. Unfortunately, the restrictions prompted them to go slow in the summer and focus during fall and winter, when tuna prices are much higher.